Footballers and CoronaVirus

[Antepli Ejderha]

Celtic confirm one Covid-19 case two days after squad returned from Dubai training trip - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55611659

What we're they thinking?

[Patrick Thistle]

It's one player, with the employees from his company.

There is the suggestion that the photo is from Xmas 2019, but obviously, only one person knows if that's true.

The photo had gone when I went back to check so thanks for clarifying.

[NickSTFU]

OK. It was a photo from Instagram I think of a lot of Shrewsbury players together in a house. It was posted on Christmas Eve by one of the players saying it had been a tough year but they had got through.

There was some debate whether it was a photo taken on Christmas Eve or not. But that's when it was posted.

It's one player, with the employees from his company.

There is the suggestion that the photo is from Xmas 2019, but obviously, only one person knows if that's true.

[Satchmo Distel]

If Villa are unable to field a recognisable first team I would expect the game to be postponed, in the same way as several previous matches involving other clubs have been.

The EPL will gradually run out of space to play the rescheduled games without going to 4 games in every 8 days, then the BRCs will go apeshit.

I'm also wondering if the World Cup Qualifiers can start in March given likely travel restrictions on cross-border sport.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Yeah I don't think it's right to assume that playing football is very low risk right now. It might well be worth trying to work out ways of eliminating communal changing, showers, travel etc though, sure.

[Fussbudget]

Surely actually playing carries few risks (open air and so on)

There have been games (e.g. Wednesday v Derby mentioned upthread) where players have tested positive on both sides a few days after playing each other so that doesn't seem clear-cut to me, especially if the new variant is more easily transmitted.

[Antepli Ejderha]

I think it's giving an air of normality which is making people complacent. France is looking like it's ending cross border sport, Ray posted on that in the rugby thread.

[Sporting]

I'm in the middle on this. Surely actually playing carries few risks (open air and so on) and the danger would come from shared dressing rooms, communal showers, team coaches etc. But there are ways to lessen these hazards. Or players enjoying private parties, but that's not a pre footballing matter. That said, people who are needed in the stadiums for the games to be able to take place may be more at risk.

[DCI Harry Batt]

And by extension no sport at all?

Yes, for me. Team sports, at least.

[1974ddr]

Spare a thought* for highflying FPL managers who have to decide whether to transfer in Son & Kane for guaranteed hatful against Villa kids, or avoid both teams cos it might get postponed...

* (I know, don't)

If Villa are unable to field a recognisable first team I would expect the game to be postponed, in the same way as several previous matches involving other clubs have been.

[Sporting]

And by extension no sport at all?

[Artificial Hipster]

Football shouldn't be being played. At all.

Agreed.

[Jobi1]

A positive from a positive.

... or not. A York player has reported symptoms this morning so this afternoon's match at Boston has been immediately postponed.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Agreeing with Steve Bruce now TG, hope you're OK.

A stopped clock, and all that.

Bruce, not TG.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Spare a thought* for highflying FPL managers who have to decide whether to transfer in Son & Kane for guaranteed hatful against Villa kids, or avoid both teams cos it might get postponed...

* (I know, don't)

[Antepli Ejderha]

Football shouldn't be being played. At all.

Agreeing with Steve Bruce now TG, hope you're OK.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Football shouldn't be being played. At all.

[Satchmo Distel]

A positive from a positive.

[Jobi1]

York manager Steve Watson tests positive. Might mean we play a little more positively for the next couple of weeks...

[Third rate Leszno]

I think it's obvious that leagues cannot be completed in full now - but surely there must be a number of options that could be considered as well as null & void? Play each other once? Rescind last season's league cancellations (is that even possible?) and combine those results with whatever gets completed this season?

[DCI Harry Batt]

I just spotted that, and came here to see if the news had been shared already.

[Ray de Galles]

https://twitter.com/ollie_bayliss/status/1347515554035281924?s=21

https://twitter.com/ollie_bayliss/status/1347524022364491776?s=21

[Patrick Thistle]

Link broken or removed PT

OK. It was a photo from Instagram I think of a lot of Shrewsbury players together in a house. It was posted on Christmas Eve by one of the players saying it had been a tough year but they had got through.

There was some debate whether it was a photo taken on Christmas Eve or not. But that's when it was posted.

[sw2borshch]

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/...id-19-19579501
The Boro have also closed their training ground due to an outbreak and expect to be fielding a load of U-23s at Brentford in the FA Cup.

[Antepli Ejderha]

This was apparently a photo from Christmas Eve that may explain a lot re the Shrewsbury outbreak

https://twitter.com/salopcast/status/1347272443291951107?s=19

Link broken or removed PT